For the first time in 14 years, Eagles chairman Jeffrey Lurie will have to find a new head coach. It’s an unimaginable time frame for an NFL owner to go in between searches, but the time had come.

Lurie has generally made the right call on his two head coaching hires—Ray Rhodes in 1995 and Reid four years later. At the time, Rhodes was considered a rising assistant from the Mike Holmgren coaching tree, which branched out from the Bill Walsh tree. Reid also came from the Holmgren line and had never ascended higher than quarterbacks coach, which reflected Lurie’s willingness to take risks and gamble on unproven talent.

The Eagles' coaching search reportedly is targeting Oregon's Chip Kelly, but the team is looking at plenty of other successors for Andy Reid. (AP Photo)

But the game has changed since 1999, and the Eagles have played 51 seasons without winning a Super Bowl title, which means Lurie’s criteria for his next head coach could be radically different. It appears as if general manager Howie Roseman will play a major role in the interview process, but the call will ultimately be Lurie’s.

Tuesday's developments

— Chip Kelly is the "prime target," according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The report cited two unnamed NFL senior officials. The Eagles also requested permission to speak with three Falcons assistants: offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, defensive coordinator Mike Nolan and special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong. Multiple reports say Nolan will be the first to speak with team officials.

— Penn State coach Bill O'Brien and Kelly are both on the Eagles' short list, according to ESPN. O'Brien reportedly has a hefty buyout of at least $9 million, but there could be language tied to NFL head coaching opportunities mitigating some of the cost.

Other potential candidates

— Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy. Lurie has an excellent relationship with agent Bob Lamonte, who represents Reid and Roseman, among others, along with McCoy. Under the 40-year-old McCoy, Denver went two rounds deep into the playoffs last year with a read-option offensive scheme designed on the fly for Tim Tebow and then won 13 games with Peyton Manning taking over after missing an entire season to recover from neck surgery.

— NFL Network analyst Steve Mariucci. Word is that “Mooch” wants to get back into coaching after several years of television work. Mariucci had four seasons of double-digit wins as head coach of the 49ers and won two division titles before he flamed out in Detroit. Like Reid, Steve Mariucci is a proponent of the West Coast offense.

— Eagles defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. It’s unlikely Lurie plucks from within, but he’s fond of Bowles, who initially was hired to coach the secondary before being promoted in the middle of the season. Lurie is impressed with Bowles’ football IQ and could decide the defense’s problems this past season weren’t an accurate reflection of Bowles’ coaching acumen given the season-long turmoil on Reid’s staff. The Dolphins promoted Bowles to interim head coach near the end of the 2011 season—ahead of Mike Nolan—after firing Tony Sparano.